====================== IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ====================== For the time being, we will be using Zoom for our meetings. The following meeting link is persistent and will be used until we can resume our in-person meetings. The zoom room opens at 7pm, with the club meeting starting at 7:30 pm. Zoom monthly meeting: (2nd Saturday of the month) Web URL, includes meeting ID and passcode: https://zoom.us/j/99863201285?pwd=cWUyQWxrRk81OEcwN1Q0dzF1UTBLUT09 or on your mobile or with the Zoom app directly: Meeting ID: 998 6320 1285 Passcode: 955710 or call in from any phone: (312) 626-6799 (Chicago) (929) 205-6099 (New York) (301) 715-8592 (Germantown) (346) 248-7799 (Houston) (669) 900-6833 (San Jose) (253) 215-8782 (Tacoma) -------------------------- Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur Association (NIRAA/W0MG) Meeting Minutes, April 2021 The April gathering of the Northeast Iowa Radio Amateur's Association (NIRAA) was called to order at 7:32 PM, April 14, 2021 on Zoom by Curt Wilson (NK0T). There were 21 members (16 ARRL) and 0 guests in attendance this evening, listed below. MINUTES ------- Adjustments to last month's minutes: K0DV was listed as "Doug" in one committee note Taryn (N0TKC) didn't get last months minutes. Everyone else did though, probably just a glitch somewhere. Report accepted with 1 adjustment (WB0MAR/KB0VGG) TREASURER'S REPORT ------------------ Dave (KD0DK) reports we have $1,09.18 (no change) in savings/repeater fund and $1,921.86 + $40 = $1,969.86 in share-draft. Dave (KD0DK): we have been getting our club insurance from Grinnel Mutual, last year cost $233. ARRL was contacted but did not respond to questions, saving $33 for this year isn't looking like a good idea if they aren't going to communicate with us. Move to stay with Grinnel for this year ((K0DV/JAN) Also we have to submit our yearly report to ARRL soon, anyone with unpaid dues please get them paid so you are counted. Report accepted Please contact Dave if you would like to get your dues paid for the year. Our club membership form is also available on our club website at http://www.w0mg.net/ REPEATERS --------- Curt (NK0T): al's repeater is working. Al and Curt swapped out the water tower, running the Quantar now so that's done. We also have a proper contact at CFU now going forward. Covenant was bought out, and is going to be demolishing some of the facility, including where our repeater is at, we need to be off the building by May 1. This is really short notice, we need to hustle on it. Al (KB0VGG): today we got the two antennas and coax down also, plus one tower section. The plan now is to get back up there next weekend and get the rest of the tower down. If it's impractical, we may just abandon the tower sections that are there. (they're old and in questionable condition, possibly little or no value) Mercy One has reached out to us, the Medical Art building is going to stay, we may be able to simply hop over there. It's about the same height and the location is, as always, geographically good for a repeater. We also now have a very good rapport with the Mercy maintenance group. There's a large stairwell we may be able to use for taking down the remaining tower sections. Both antennas and the one section we got down are currently at Al's shed. Curt (NK0T): Bill has the two Micor repeaters that will need to find alternate storage. (Bill is running out of space) The Micors are old. Despite that they are old, we should consider replacing them with mobile radios on controllers. If someone has storage space for a rack, please contact Curt. COMMITTEES ---------- Repeater Swap Committee (Jane/KE0RKO, John/WB0MAR, Curt/NK0T): Swap is DONE, committee can dissolve. (do we want to form a new committee for repeater upgrades?) Presentation Committee (Curt/NK0T, John/WB0MAR): (no report) OLD BUSINESS ------------ Curt (NK0T): how is our Field Day preparations coming along? Mark (N8TWO): we recently sent out a request for members and non-members on our mailing list to fill out, with question regarding field day. Summary of data: - 21 responded - 21 wanted the club to participate in field day this year - 3 were willing to do overnight - average interest was operating between 2 and 4 stations - shelter preference was mainly walls or roof type only - other big interests: restrooms, parking, garbage cans, tables, electricity, easy access - preferred within 15-20 miles average travel distance from their homes - most responders were willing to run their own radio Dave (K0CQH): if all the attendees are vaccinated, can we operate "normally"? (no concrete answers) Location was discussed. is Lookout Park available? Sturgis Falls is on this year. Birdsall Park is another option. We need to check on availability, there's going to be a lot of people that want to get back to outdoor activities this summer, which could make site booking more competitive. Dave (KD0DK) will try to reserve West Lookout, East Lookout, or Birdsall (in that order) Al's survey was sent out to a wide body of people, not just club members, so it's difficult to tell how much of the response was club and how much was guest. Nate (N0ZYC): Dave send me the current membership list and I'll filter that and get Al the full club contact list. Al (KB0VGG):we are right in the middle of a general class, though only two students right now. Our next train and test will be on Extra class licensing. NEW BUSINESS ------------ (none) Motion to adjourn (W0ALO/KD0DK) Tonight's presentation was by BILL (W0GEN) on StarLink. UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS ---------------------- (TBD) REGULAR EVENTS -------------- - ARES net check-in is at 9pm every Sunday night, on 146.94/34 - Iowa Digital Net runs every Sunday night at 4pm, 3.5885 MHz USB / 1500 Hz WF (Olivia 8-500) (note new day and time as of Feb 2020) - DMR checkin 7:30 pm Sunday night on talk group 3119 temporarily suspended: - hams meet informally at 9am every Monday morning at HyVee on Ansborough Ave - hams meet informally at 12pm every Tuesday at Taco Johns on University Ave - W0MG Virtual Breakfast, now meeting every Monday morning 8:45am – 12:45pm https://zoom.us/j/94876565904?pwd=RnlhMzBkMWhCaEkzRUc0YW4yaDMxUT09 or open the Zoom app and join with meeting ID 948 7656 5904 passcode 592204 or dial in by phone, 312-626-6799 (Chicago) VE TESTING AND TRAINING ----------------------- contact Mark (N8TWO) for current information at classes@W0MG.NET UPCOMING HAMFESTS ----------------- (none) OTHER EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ------------------------------ (none) W0MG/NIRAA LINKS ---------------- - Club Website: https://www.w0mg.net/ - Membership form: http://www.w0mg.net/contact/membershipform.pdf - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/waterloo.hams/community/ - Cedar Valley area repeaters list: https://www.w0mg.net/repeaters/ MEETING ATTENDANCE ------------------ KD0WVN Nick Miller N0ZYC Nathan Fisher W0SJ Stan Johnson W0GEN Bill Dedic KD0DM David Morrow N4HRL Harold Lucas N8TWO Mark Colby AE0TB Tom Bicket N0TKC Taryn Colby KD0DK David Kelly W0VJB Vicki Bicket KE0IWP Janice Fitkin KE0IWQ James Fitkin KB0VGG Al Jones NK0T Curt Wilson K0CQH Dave Knittel WB0MAR John Humpal K0DV Doug Vernier NC0N Cory Hill N0XUT Dwayne Collingwood W0ALO Chuck Angel Members wishing to pay club dues (or have paid and are not indicated above) please contact our Treasurer in person at our monthly meeting or by email at treas(a)w0mg.net Officers may be contacted over the air or via email: President: Curt Wilson (NK0T) - pres(a)w0mg.net Vice President: Al Jones (KB0VGG) - vp(a)w0mg.net Secretary: Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) - sec(a)w0mg.net Treasurer: Dave Kelly (KD0DK) - treas(a)w0mg.net Director 2019: Stan Johnson (W0SJ) - dir2(a)w0mg.net Director 2020: Jan Fitkin (KE0IWP) - dir3(a)w0mg.net Director 2021: John Humpal (WB0MAR) - dir1(a)w0mg.net NIRAA meets most months at Windcove (Western Home Communities) apartments at 300 South Main St in Cedar Falls. We are meeting on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 7:30 pm, anyone interested in ham radio is welcome to attend. Our primary club repeater is on 146.94 mhz, negative offset, with a PL tone of 136.5 hz, with coverage centered in Black Hawk County. Many members are also monitoring channel 3119 on DMR. Our club website is at https://www.w0mg.net/ and the club's primary email contact is sec(a)w0mg.net Our meeting has been temporarily moved to Zoom due to covid-19, see announcement at the top of these minutes for meeting information. You're receiving these meeting minutes because you have given the NIRAA club your email address for minutes and announcements. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply requesting removal from one or both distribution lists. - Nathan Fisher (N0ZYC) Secretary, W0MG